RPM/Yum database question (was Re: gtk-sharp error during tomboy installation)

[Paul Howarth]

David Curry wrote:
> RPM database issues come up in a variety of ways.  For some reason, 
> Paul's response above prompted me to consider why it would not be 
> possible or easier to edit the RPM database.  Perhaps that question came 
> to mind today because I have been considering switching from Up2date 
> upgrading to use of Yum and have the impression that Yum updates are 
> also not recorded in the RPM database.

That's not true. Yum and up2date are both front-end dependency solvers 
for RPM. Every package installed, removed or upgraded using yum or 
update causes an appropriate update of the RPM database.

Instead of making manual edits to the RPM database (which are likely to 
be error-prone), I prefer to roll my own RPMs for anything I build 
locally and then install the RPM. Of course, this requires the knowledge 
of how to build RPMs, which is quite a big thing to learn.

Paul.